acne facts and fiction

Acne – Facts And Fiction

Here we list 5 of the most common myths and what really causes acne…

1. Eating Chocolate Will Give You Acne – False

This isn’t at all true. There is no link to acne and what we eat, while eating a lot of junk food, refined sugars and fatty foods will not do your skin (or your health) any favours it isn’t a direct cause of acne.

Truth:If you have a sensitivity or an allergy to a certain food, for example; dairy, there is quite substantial evidence to support that it can and often does exacerbate skin conditions, (though not in everyone) but it does not cause acne in the first instance.

People wrongly misconstrue acne as a sign of dirt. Acne is not caused through not washing enough and no matter how many times a day you clean your face, you can still get acne.

Truth; Over-washing and scrubbing your face vigorously in the hope of clearing your skin won’t get rid of them. All it will do is strip the skin of oils which protect the skin’s surface which can actually encourage acne to form.

3. The Sun Is Good For Acne – False

Excessive sun exposure over a long period of time can deplete the collagen in your skin, so much so that the skin has less support and the pores remain open so that blackheads form and some of them may even be permanent.

Damage from the sun also makes it harder for the skin to repair which means you’re more likely to scar from your acne, especially if you pick away at your skin. Not to mention, you’re at greater risk of skin cancer if you don’t protect yourself from the sun’s harmful rays.

Truth:The sun (in small doses) is great for our entire body and mind and provides us with up to 90% of Vitamin D which the body can’t get anywhere else.

4. Blackheads Are Dirt In Your Pores – False

Though blackheads look like dirt in your pores — they aren’t. Blackheads are actually a build up of sebum, protein and skin debris. They are usually black in colour but they can also appear to have a yellowish tinge.

Truth:Blackheads occur when the skin’s turnover of cells doesn’t happen quickly enough so the pores get blocked. It doesn’t mean that you’re dirty or that you need to wash more.

5. Toothpaste Cures Spots – False

Toothpaste is always recommended as a spot treatment but really, it doesn’t do much, other than irritate your skin.

Toothpaste is extremely drying, it contains ingredients such as menthol, triclosan, essential oils and alcohol which is highly irritating to the skin particularly people with acne.

Truth: It may help to dry a pimple up if used sparingly but it won’t resolve the problem and there are much more effective preparations that are designed for use on the face that won’t cause a reaction.

In The Media

The information in this website is for advice and guidance only. It is based on my own intensive research and personal experiences, and is not intended in any way to replace professional medical advice, or to diagnose or treat any health conditions.
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